gorilla

noun

go·​ril·​la gə-ˈri-lə 

1

: a very large typically black-colored great ape (Gorilla gorilla) of equatorial Africa that has a stocky body with broad shoulders and long arms and is less erect and has smaller ears than the chimpanzee

2

a

: an ugly or brutal man

b

: thug, goon

Synonyms of gorilla

• thug
• villain
• bandit
• gangster
• criminal
• assassin
• pirate
• hood

Examples of gorilla in a Sentence

She hired some gorilla as her bodyguard.

the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to “convince” him to pay up

Recent Examples on the Web

Everyone else just seems happy to be invited, to have a great time in the countryside, slurping up Champagne and trying not to get kidnapped by a gorilla. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

Fatou had one daughter, one granddaughter and several great-grandchildren, including Berlin Zoo's gorilla Bokito, Hachmeister said. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026

These days, Fatou lives in an enclosure of her own and prefers to keep her distance from the zoo’s other gorillas in her old age. —ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026

Fatou, the world’s oldest gorilla living in captivity, just turned 69 — and her birthday celebration at Berlin Zoo is a fascinating window into what modern animal care can achieve. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek Gorillai, plural, a tribe of hairy women mentioned in an account of a voyage around Africa

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gorilla

• lowland gorilla
• mountain gorilla
• 800-pound gorilla

Rhymes for gorilla

• axilla
• flotilla
• guerilla
• guerrilla
• manilla
• mantilla
• maxilla
• mesilla
• papilla
• priscilla
• scintilla
• sensilla

Kids Definition

gorilla

noun

go·​ril·​la gə-ˈril-ə 

: a typically black ape of equatorial Africa that is much larger but stands less erect than the related chimpanzee

Etymology

derived from Greek Gorillai, a name used by ancient explorers for what they thought was a tribe of hairy women in Africa